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How To Tame a Wild Tongue
Short Story
Unknown Binding
About the author
Gloria E. Anzaldúa
43 books804 followersGloria E. Anzaldúa was a scholar of Chicana cultural theory, feminist theory, and queer theory. She loosely based her best-known book, Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, on her life growing up on the Mexican-Texas border and incorporated her lifelong feelings of social and cultural marginalization into her work.
When she was eleven, her family relocated to Hargill, Texas. Despite feeling discriminated against as a sixth-generation Tejana and as a female, and despite the death of her father from a car accident when she was fourteen, Anzaldúa still obtained her college education. In 1968, she received a B.A. in English, Art, and Secondary Education from Pan American University, and an M.A. in English and Education from the University of Texas at Austin. While in Austin, she joined politically active cultural poets and radical dramatists such as Ricardo Sanchez, and Hedwig Gorski.
After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in English from the then Pan American University (now University of Texas-Pan American), Anzaldúa worked as a preschool and special education teacher. In 1977, she moved to California, where she supported herself through her writing, lectures, and occasional teaching stints about feminism, Chicano studies, and creative writing at San Francisco State University, the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Florida Atlantic University, among other universities.
(from Wikipedia)
See also: https://tshaonline.org/handbook/onlin...
When she was eleven, her family relocated to Hargill, Texas. Despite feeling discriminated against as a sixth-generation Tejana and as a female, and despite the death of her father from a car accident when she was fourteen, Anzaldúa still obtained her college education. In 1968, she received a B.A. in English, Art, and Secondary Education from Pan American University, and an M.A. in English and Education from the University of Texas at Austin. While in Austin, she joined politically active cultural poets and radical dramatists such as Ricardo Sanchez, and Hedwig Gorski.
After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in English from the then Pan American University (now University of Texas-Pan American), Anzaldúa worked as a preschool and special education teacher. In 1977, she moved to California, where she supported herself through her writing, lectures, and occasional teaching stints about feminism, Chicano studies, and creative writing at San Francisco State University, the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Florida Atlantic University, among other universities.
(from Wikipedia)
See also: https://tshaonline.org/handbook/onlin...
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 7, 2023
Appreciated the first 3 sentences and it was a downward spiral from that. As someone who grew under machismo and sexism on the most toxic levels I appreciate the anger… and as a immigrant I understood it too. Until I didn’t.
I will be honest; sometimes us immigrants don’t take accountability for the crappy things our communities bring across boarders. The most violent county in my city is full of people who were born in my country. They do the same crap here they did there. I would love to say too that they do that out of desperation but the truth is they do it because they are a bunch of shameless sons of bitches who think they can get away with anything. And honestly this is why immigration should exist, to root this arseholes who make the rest of us look bad. Problem is, the majority is like that. Hence why my home country is unlivable. It is just crazy to me that someone would come to another country and act the same disgusting way they did at their birth country but… it is a reality.
It’s not like our home countries are good either! And then we come over another country and judge what works for them. Like there are bad things we SHOULD speak out against them; but belittling? Making fun of people who have lived and died by those standards? 😒 It is to be an ungrateful lot. Many of our own Native Countries didn’t even want us. Like why the hell are you an immigrant then? If your country is so good? Don’t delude yourself.
Now, that should not excuse the hate that we sometimes get; still, holding on to bitterness and the most insignificant aspects of spite, along with a fantasy imagination of what one’s native country DEFINITELY doesn’t look like, it’s insane! On another level! Something I refuse to do. No country has ever been loyal to me. No language has ever taken me under its wing. A lot of immigrants can relate. Yet the still hold on to what? WHAT?
Lol maybe I’m just bitter and jaded… it is just… Why be loyal to something that was not loyal to you?
Couldn’t catch me dead doing that. It’s like continuing to love the boyfriend who cheated on you while he moves on with his 100 mistresses. Or slaving away for a mother or father who abandoned your or abused your during your youth.
PS: if you wondering about the state of this review it is because I had a professor ask me my opinion on it as an immigrant and this is what I want to say to her face.
Since I wanted a good grade I told her what she wanted to hear… 😑 gotta love education nowadays ❤️.
PPS: Your grammar can be shitty and not a point of national pride. Sometimes you just have to own it. Sometimes I amp my vocabulary to sound more pristine, sometimes I bring it down to tell a joke. Grammar is not inherently racist. People are. Grammar is something beautiful meant to give guidelines. In the written word - they are more like rules. In the real world? It works loads like the Parley from Pirates of the Caribbean. Miming can get you out of hassles. Speaking is not even a thing for effective communication if you don’t want to. The thing that makes it operative is getting the message across.
Savvy? Savvy.
PPPS: I didn’t like this too because the author was clearly being condescending to those she was criticizing. Fire with fire? More fire 🔥. At least own it ya know 🤷♀️.
I will be honest; sometimes us immigrants don’t take accountability for the crappy things our communities bring across boarders. The most violent county in my city is full of people who were born in my country. They do the same crap here they did there. I would love to say too that they do that out of desperation but the truth is they do it because they are a bunch of shameless sons of bitches who think they can get away with anything. And honestly this is why immigration should exist, to root this arseholes who make the rest of us look bad. Problem is, the majority is like that. Hence why my home country is unlivable. It is just crazy to me that someone would come to another country and act the same disgusting way they did at their birth country but… it is a reality.
It’s not like our home countries are good either! And then we come over another country and judge what works for them. Like there are bad things we SHOULD speak out against them; but belittling? Making fun of people who have lived and died by those standards? 😒 It is to be an ungrateful lot. Many of our own Native Countries didn’t even want us. Like why the hell are you an immigrant then? If your country is so good? Don’t delude yourself.
Now, that should not excuse the hate that we sometimes get; still, holding on to bitterness and the most insignificant aspects of spite, along with a fantasy imagination of what one’s native country DEFINITELY doesn’t look like, it’s insane! On another level! Something I refuse to do. No country has ever been loyal to me. No language has ever taken me under its wing. A lot of immigrants can relate. Yet the still hold on to what? WHAT?
Lol maybe I’m just bitter and jaded… it is just… Why be loyal to something that was not loyal to you?
Couldn’t catch me dead doing that. It’s like continuing to love the boyfriend who cheated on you while he moves on with his 100 mistresses. Or slaving away for a mother or father who abandoned your or abused your during your youth.
PS: if you wondering about the state of this review it is because I had a professor ask me my opinion on it as an immigrant and this is what I want to say to her face.
Since I wanted a good grade I told her what she wanted to hear… 😑 gotta love education nowadays ❤️.
PPS: Your grammar can be shitty and not a point of national pride. Sometimes you just have to own it. Sometimes I amp my vocabulary to sound more pristine, sometimes I bring it down to tell a joke. Grammar is not inherently racist. People are. Grammar is something beautiful meant to give guidelines. In the written word - they are more like rules. In the real world? It works loads like the Parley from Pirates of the Caribbean. Miming can get you out of hassles. Speaking is not even a thing for effective communication if you don’t want to. The thing that makes it operative is getting the message across.
Savvy? Savvy.
PPPS: I didn’t like this too because the author was clearly being condescending to those she was criticizing. Fire with fire? More fire 🔥. At least own it ya know 🤷♀️.
February 2, 2020
Definitely an essay that everyone should pick up. Educational, powerful, and the message gets across. I recommend for those who are of the hispanic, Latino heritage or immersed into the culture in some way as you will really feel this book and have a sense of relation. Anyone else should without a doubt read this to educate themselves on the importance of Mexican linguistics and the experiences Chicanos, Mestizos, Mexicans, Latinos, Hispanics, etc. have to go through to face and express their identities.
This essay clearly shows how “proper” grammar IS indeed racist. If you’re not sure what I mean by this, do not disagree, simply pick up the book and read.
This essay clearly shows how “proper” grammar IS indeed racist. If you’re not sure what I mean by this, do not disagree, simply pick up the book and read.
November 25, 2023
I found this piece quite interesting because I couldn't imagine the struggle of your internal identity not matching society's expectations to such a degree, having to change your language, your culture... just to fit in, your "wild tongue", your language, being seen as something that "needs taking care of" is wild to me. I also find it acculturation not unambiguously wrong either, I think there should be a balance of your inner self (language, culture) and the influence society's expectations and interpersonal relationships have on your outward identity. This is a grey issue for me.
September 15, 2018
Read for Hispanic History Month.
Spanish is a language I grew up hearing, one I learned at university, and one I started to use with some proficiency while living among those who spoke primarily Spanish.
Important Note. Azaldua is (was) a generation older than me. The emotionally devasting No-Spanish rules at school were no longer in effect by the time I went to school. The teachers sometimes seemed to be uncomfortable yet tolerant. With the GI bill coming into effect after WWII, more people of ethnic and racial backgrounds received a college/university education, many becoming teachers. So language tolerance and language recognition of teachers/adminsitors both lead to relaxed language rules.
Anzaldua explains the various types of Spanish spoken in Texas. My type, a bare minimum Soanglish is left out. I feel left out. I sound silly to myself until I roam reminded by Anzaldua that language is a main way we--she says Mexican and I can at most hispanoamericana/Hispanic American--indentify ourselves. The Spanish language, in whatever variant, is our shared language. A language defines a culture. Big sociolinguistic idea. To whatever degree I feel comfortable or make myself speak or write Spanish, to that degree I feel my ethnicity. And like Anzaldua I insist and protect my (second) language.
Spanish is a language I grew up hearing, one I learned at university, and one I started to use with some proficiency while living among those who spoke primarily Spanish.
Important Note. Azaldua is (was) a generation older than me. The emotionally devasting No-Spanish rules at school were no longer in effect by the time I went to school. The teachers sometimes seemed to be uncomfortable yet tolerant. With the GI bill coming into effect after WWII, more people of ethnic and racial backgrounds received a college/university education, many becoming teachers. So language tolerance and language recognition of teachers/adminsitors both lead to relaxed language rules.
Anzaldua explains the various types of Spanish spoken in Texas. My type, a bare minimum Soanglish is left out. I feel left out. I sound silly to myself until I roam reminded by Anzaldua that language is a main way we--she says Mexican and I can at most hispanoamericana/Hispanic American--indentify ourselves. The Spanish language, in whatever variant, is our shared language. A language defines a culture. Big sociolinguistic idea. To whatever degree I feel comfortable or make myself speak or write Spanish, to that degree I feel my ethnicity. And like Anzaldua I insist and protect my (second) language.
April 9, 2019
Review found in Borderlands- La Frontera
January 5, 2022
Really fascinating, informative, but also engaging. I think the inclusion of different languages and dialects was a great choice on the authors part.
January 9, 2022
A must read
September 13, 2023
I have arranged my takeaway thoughts into a haiku (as best I could):
"Language that’s cut off
Evolves like anything else,
To clash, thrive (or both)."
"Language that’s cut off
Evolves like anything else,
To clash, thrive (or both)."
September 26, 2020
3/5 Stars (%63/100)
In “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”, Gloria Anzaldua exposes her feelings about social and cultural difficulties that Mexican immigrants face when being raised in the United States. She establishes comparisons among English, Spanish, and their variations. Also, she shows cultural imperialism’s influence on people’s preference to speak one language rather than the other. It forces people to pick one and hopefully be accepted by the majority. She talks about important social problems such as sexism, cultural imperialism, racism, low self-confidence, and identity construction.
The author starts the story with a metaphor in which she defines the adaptation process as something extremely violent and cruel. In addition, the story aims at showing both sides of this adaptation process: the white side and the Hispanic side. On the white side, if an individual chooses to immigrate to the United States, he should embrace the language and culture in order to be accepted. On the Hispanic side, there are the Mexican parents who want their children to be successful and hopefully one day live the American Dream.
The author’s main desire is to be able to freely speak Chicano Spanish. She wants her people to have their own language and she demands respect for their unique identity. According to the story, some progress has already been made. There are books published in Chicano Spanish, and some political parties and groups who defend Chicano’s rights occurred. However, there are still serious problems regarding their race, identity, language, culture, sense of belonging, and freedom to express their thoughts in whatever English/Spanish variation they want.
Also, there seems to be the problem of sexism due to the macho qualities of Latinos. In addition, the author expresses her feeling of rage by exposing how Chicano Spanish is belittled by Latinos and white people. To conclude, the author points out that Chicanos are basically orphans in terms of linguistics and how it seriously affects their self-confidence.
In “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”, Gloria Anzaldua exposes her feelings about social and cultural difficulties that Mexican immigrants face when being raised in the United States. She establishes comparisons among English, Spanish, and their variations. Also, she shows cultural imperialism’s influence on people’s preference to speak one language rather than the other. It forces people to pick one and hopefully be accepted by the majority. She talks about important social problems such as sexism, cultural imperialism, racism, low self-confidence, and identity construction.
The author starts the story with a metaphor in which she defines the adaptation process as something extremely violent and cruel. In addition, the story aims at showing both sides of this adaptation process: the white side and the Hispanic side. On the white side, if an individual chooses to immigrate to the United States, he should embrace the language and culture in order to be accepted. On the Hispanic side, there are the Mexican parents who want their children to be successful and hopefully one day live the American Dream.
The author’s main desire is to be able to freely speak Chicano Spanish. She wants her people to have their own language and she demands respect for their unique identity. According to the story, some progress has already been made. There are books published in Chicano Spanish, and some political parties and groups who defend Chicano’s rights occurred. However, there are still serious problems regarding their race, identity, language, culture, sense of belonging, and freedom to express their thoughts in whatever English/Spanish variation they want.
Also, there seems to be the problem of sexism due to the macho qualities of Latinos. In addition, the author expresses her feeling of rage by exposing how Chicano Spanish is belittled by Latinos and white people. To conclude, the author points out that Chicanos are basically orphans in terms of linguistics and how it seriously affects their self-confidence.
April 27, 2016
Great essay that breaks stereotypes about the Spanish language.
May 29, 2018
a very powerful essay about identity and language.
it is written in Chicano, that is to say a "mixture" of English and Spanish, but this essays addresses issues that exist worldwide.
it is written in Chicano, that is to say a "mixture" of English and Spanish, but this essays addresses issues that exist worldwide.
May 26, 2021
Read it because I need to write an essay on this essay, but kudos to me for choosing such a good one lol. It had me at the first metaphor and was very thinky.
March 15, 2024
An interesting strategy to write half an essay in another language and spin a large chunk of the writing into an Intro to Spanish Creole 101 primer. Who was this trying to convince? Other Chicanos, who can certainly read this but already feel this way? Spaniards from Spain?
In either case, as a descendant of different colonizers but distinctly in-grouped with the national tribe, I struggled to relate to this essay on top of separately finding it quite dull and dry despite its length.
In either case, as a descendant of different colonizers but distinctly in-grouped with the national tribe, I struggled to relate to this essay on top of separately finding it quite dull and dry despite its length.
April 13, 2021
⭐ "We oppress each other trying to out-Chicano each other, vying to be the "real" Chicanas, to speak like Chicanos. There is no one Chicano language just as there is no one Chicano experience."
Talk about community...
Talk about community...
December 1, 2023
A beautiful account of feeling torn between two different cultures and being denied from both- Really made me sad! I wish I could have experienced the Latin side of my heritage from my grandma before she passed
September 29, 2019
good read
learned great information about her peoples struggle
learned great information about her peoples struggle
February 8, 2020
I had to read this essay and write a rhetorical reading response for a literature assignment. It was a powerful and eye opening read!
April 18, 2022
read this twice this semester. so incredible. makes you think about language and identity differently.
November 10, 2024
You can't tame a wild tongue.
June 15, 2025
que bonito es ser bilingüe y que coñazo es la necesidad de ser parte de una nación
March 18, 2024
Changed my life
July 26, 2024
I found this one to be relatable
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews